Heart Defects

Children's Heart Problems

As a parent, news that your child may have a heart problem can be devastating. Some children are diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, meaning your child was born with a problem in the heart's formation. According to KidsHealth.org, congenital...

Congenital Heart Disease Symptoms

Congenital heart disease generally refers to a birth defect in the structure of the heart or one of the great blood vessels leading to or away from the heart. Most of these defects affect the way blood flows through the heart, but other defects...

What Are the Treatments for Congenital Heart Disease?

Congenital heart disease describes a defect in the structure of the heart or its vessels that occurs during fetal development. Congenital heart disease can be either mild or severe, and treatment options depend on the type and severity of the...

Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease involves one or more structural defects of the heart or blood vessels, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It occurs before birth as a fetus develops. Congenital heart disease affects approximately eight to 10 out of every...

Genetic Factors in Heart Disease

Several genetic factors are associated with heart disease. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, heart disease is the leading cause of death among American men and women, and heart...

Signs of Cardiac Abnormalities in Children

Every year, around 35,000 infants are born with heart defects in the United States, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Such malformations result in abnormal blood circulation through the four chambers of the heart and...

Pediatric Heart Disease & Exercise

One in every 100 children in the United States suffers from a heart defect, according to the Cardiac and Vascular Institute. A total of 35,000 U.S. children are born each year with a present defect. Many defects, such as problems with the atrial...

Infant Heart Development

The heart is a vital organ, pumping blood as well as oxygen received from the lungs throughout the body. This organ is mostly developed before your infant even arrives into the world, although it will continue to strengthen after birth. In some...

Common Heart Problems in Young People

The heart consists of four chambers: the two upper chambers known as the atria and the two lower chambers known as the ventricles. The right and left side of the heart are separated by a wall known as the septum; blood flows between the chambers...

What Are the Signs of an Infant Having Heart Problems?

According to 2008 information from the March of Dimes, approximately 1 out of every 125 babies is born with a congenital heart defect. These can range from very mild, producing no symptoms, to very serious, leading to death. However, most babies...

Heart Disease Symptoms in Children

Around nine out of 1,000 babies, or 36,000 American babies a year, are born with a congenital heart defect. While children can develop heart disease, most children with heart disease have congenital defects, the American Heart Association reports....

5 Things You Need to Know About Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a broad term that embodies numerous heart defects that generally appear at birth. On average, over 35,000 newborns are afflicted with CHD every year, making it the most common birth defect. Congenital heart...

Genetic Factors That Cause Heart Disease

Heart disease can develop from various causative factors including lifestyle, diet, bacterial infections and age. Heart disease is also well-known to be hereditary. According to the American Heart Association, "children of parents with heart and...

Causes of Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease refers to problems in the structure and function of the heart because of abnormal heart development before birth. The U.S. National Library of Medicine notes that congenital heart disease is the most common type of birth...

Infant Heart Problems

Infant heart problems, often presenting as congenital heart defects, are anatomical abnormalities caused by the defective growth of the heart during fetal development. Septal defects, misplacement of the major vessels, single ventricles and...

Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia & Folic Acid

Flap-like structures called valves facilitate uni-directional blood flow. Your tricuspid valve occupies the space between the right atrium and the right ventricle. It prevents blood back flow as it circulates between these two structures. Mammals,...

Folic Acid Heart Health Benefits

Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, is a water-soluble vitamin used in supplements. Folate is the natural occurring form of vitamin B9 found in dietary sources. The Institute of Medicine recommends a daily intake of 400 mcg of folate for adult...

About Cyanotic & Acyanotic Heart Disease

Congenital heart diseases occur due to abnormal heart development before a child is born. According to Medline Plus, a website of the National Institutes of Health, congenital heart disease is the most common type of birth defect and is...

How to Stay Healthy After a Rastelli Operation

The Rastelli operation is a cardiac procedure used for congenital heart defects involving two ventricles and overriding of the aorta with severe pulmonary stenosis or pulmonary atresia. This procedure is typically performed on infants and children...

Heart Block in Infants

Arrhythmias caused by a disruption of the electrical signals in the heart called heart blocks can occur in infants as a result of congenital heart defects or acquired disease or damage. The signs, symptoms and prognosis for infants with heart...

What Are the Treatments for Atrial Septal Defect?

Atrial septal defect is a congenital heart defect, meaning a defect present at birth. A hole between the atria, the upper chambers of the heart, allows blood from the left atrium to flow into the right side of the heart and to the lungs. The...

Problems in the Heart

The heart performs the life-sustaining function of pumping oxygen-rich blood to the body tissues. Many types of heart problems can occur, including structural defects, blood vessel-related damage and rhythm abnormalities. Heart problems can affect...

Heart Conditions in Children

More than 64 million people in the U.S. have a health condition involving their heart, states KidsHealth, and a significant portion of those are 19 or younger. For instance, the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates roughly 5 percent of...

Heart Disorders & Diseases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports heart disease as the leading cause of death in the U.S. Many different disorders and diseases affect the heart; some are inherited, most are acquired throughout the course of life. Heart...

Heart Conditions in Babies

Congenital cardiovascular defects, or heart conditions, occur in approximately one percent of live births, according to the American Heart Association. If your baby was born with a heart condition, she may have a hole in part of her heart, blood...

Abnormal Heart Valve in Utero

The miracle of life: A baby develops from the joining of two cells following a predictable path. The heart, essential for pumping blood, begins to form during the first weeks of life. It begins as a tube that grows so fast it must bend and twist,...

Signs of Heart Problems in Toddlers

Almost one in every 100 babies born in the United States has some form of congenital heart disease, according to KidsHealth website. Viruses, chest injuries, the progression of muscular dystrophy and certain medications also can damage a toddler's...

Congenital Heart Disease & Exercise

Congenital heart disease is a defect in the heart that causes problems with blood flow. According to MedlinePlus, this type of disease is the most prevalent birth defect. Although advances in medicine make this condition more treatable during...

Rubella Health Video (Video)

Rubella, or German measles, is an often benign outbreak of little red bumps that usually pass in one to five days. Learn more in this health video.